This application incorporates by reference both U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/157,031 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,428, issued Nov. 20, 2007, to the extent that the specifications of these do not conflict with the specification set forth herein.
The device disclosed is related generally to beverage dispensing systems employing a cooling subsystem, more particularly, a self-contained tabletop beverage dispenser incorporating a refrigerant chilled cold plate for cooling a beverage.
When beer (or other beverage) is charged with a gas, such as a carbon dioxide, to move the beer through the various lines, the gas is entrained to dissolve in the fluid and resides in a stable state for temperatures at or below about 30° F. The gas typically does not bubble out of the fluid, but is carried in the fluid and gives a beverage a distinctive effervescence when consumed. However, as the temperature of the beer rises above about 30° F., absent increase in pressure on the system, the gas becomes increasingly unstable and begins to bubble or foam out of the flowing beer. Further warming of the beer increases the foaming effect, as the gas bubbles form and propagate downstream. Foaming is further exacerbated by disturbances in the beer, such as the turbulence generated when the beer is dispensed from the dispensing valve. When beer is warmed to 45° F. or more, such as when exposed to normal ambient room temperature, the gas becomes sufficiently unstable and so much foam is generated when it is dispensed that it often cannot be served to patrons. As a result, as waste increases, and profits decrease.